Orthodontic system for turning a tooth

ABSTRACT

The system shown uses a band tightly fitted onto the tooth to be moved by a part turn about its longitudinal axis. There is an arch wire across the buccal face of the tooth, rigidly fixed. An elongated member of filament material, intermediate its ends, is of resilient tension spring structure. One end of said member is held fast to the band and is at least a part turn thereon wound in the direction the tooth is to be turned. With the spring in tensed condition, the other end of this member is held fast to the arch wire. As the spring contracts, the tooth will be turned in like manner as a top is started to spin upon withdrawal of its cord. The spring may be true helical, flattened helical or planar zig-zag.

United States Patent Wallshein ORTHODONTIC SYSTEM FOR TURNING A TOOTH [72] Inventor: Melvin Wallshein, 8645 Bay Parkway, Borough of Brooklyn, NY. 11214 [22] Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 117,557

[52] US. Cl. ..32/14 A [51] Int. Cl ..,.....A6lc 5/08 [58] Field of Search ..32/14 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,593,421 8/1971 Brader ..32/14 A [451 Sept. 19, 1972 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock Attorney-Friedman & Goodman [5 7] ABSTRACT The system shown uses a band tightly fitted onto the tooth to be moved by a part tum about its longitudinal axis. There is an arch wire across the buccal face of the tooth, rigidly fixed. An elongated member of filament material, intermediate its ends, is of resilient tension spring structure. One end of said member is held fast to the band and is at least a part turn thereon wound in the direction the tooth is to be turned. With the spring in tensed condition, the other end of this member is held fast to the arch wire. As the spring contracts, the tooth will be turned in like manner as a top is started to spin upon withdrawal of its cord. The spring may be true helical, flattened helical or planar zig-zag.

10 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures P'ATENTEDsEP 19 m2 3 6 91. 6 3 5 FIG.5

25 F|G.9 WWW [v VENTOR,

MELVIN WALLSHEIN,

ATTORNEY.

ORTHODONTIC SYSTEM FOR TURNING A TOOTII The present invention relates to, and its principal object is to provide, a novel and improved orthodontic system to turn a tooth about its longitudinal axis.

Another object thereof, is to provide a novel and improved tooth-turning system involving an apparatus arrangement having a new mode of operation; the power to move the tooth, being offered by a resiliant tension spring.

Another object thereof is to provide tension spring construction of various kinds to be included in a single elongated member which is the main apparatus as sociated with the tooth and its arch wire, for automatic accomplishment of tooth-tuming.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved orthodontic-system for turning a tooth about its longitudinal axis, having the stated attributes and which requires simple, inexpensive means for its practice, which is easy to install, adjust, and efficient in carrying out the purpose for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, the tooth which needs to be turned so its position in the mouth is corrected, has a tightly fitted band thereon. The mouth is equipped with a rigid arch wire which passes the front of said tooth. The band has a headed pin extending from its periphery at the back of the tooth. An elongated member of wire, whose intermediate section is a resilient tension spring, has end sections which extend as tails from the spring. One of these tails is anchored on a pin extending from said band at the back of the tooth. Said member is then set into arcuate contact with the band, wound in the direction the tooth is to take for rotation. With the spring in tensed condition, the other tail is anchored to the arch wire. The extent of such arcuate contact is at least part of one turn and may more than one turn. The spring structure may be a relatively tiny coil spring, a flattened coil spring, or of a flat zig-zag form.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. I is a fragmentary side view of a patients upper teeth showing a practice of the system taught herein.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a preferred form of band which is for mounting onto the tooth to be turned.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken at line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a member used in this system; the intermediate section of said member being a resilient tension spring of helical form.

FIG. 5 is a section taken at line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of another form of member including a spring section of a modified construction, as used in the installation shown in FIG. 3; such spring being a flattened helix.

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of another form of said member, whose spring section is of flat zig-zag form; said spring being shown in contracted condition.

FIG. 9 is an end view of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a fragmenray view showing the zig-zag spring of FIG. 8, in extended stressed condition.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing a modification of this system.

In the drawing, the numeral 15 designates a rigid orthodontic arch wire which encompasses the upper teeth in a mouth, supported in usual manner on brackets as 16, 17 carried on selected teeth other than the tooth 18 which needs to be turned for correction, and anchored on the back teeth as at 19. Said tooth requires a part turn in counter-clockwise direction. It has tightly fitted thereon, the metal band 20, which has a headed pin 21 extending therefrom at the back of tooth 18, to anchor one end of an elongated member denoted generally by the numeral 22. The intermediate section of said elongated member is a tension spring which for example may be helical as 23, flattened helical as 24, or planar zig-zag as 25, made for instance of stainless steel wire. The spring structure has tails 26 and 27 extending in opposite directions from its respective ends. The tail 26 is for attachment to the anchor pin 21, which may be accomplishes by merely twisting its end onto said pin, or such tail end may be provided with a hook, or as shown at 28, such tail end may have a two-turn coil to serve as an eye loop to engage said pin. From said pin 21, the elongated member 22 is wound around the tooth 18 in counter-clockwise direction at least part of a turn as shown in FIG. 3, or more, as for instance as shown in T in FIG. II. So mounted, the member 22 is pulled to elongate and thus stress the spring section, whereupon the tail 27 is attached in any suitable manner to the arch wire, as by being twisted thereon as 30, or by being hooked thereon as for instance by the hook 29. The member 22 may be made of linked parts as in FIG. 6, or integral as in FIG. 4.

It is evident, that as the spring contracts, the tooth 18 will receive a partial turn about its longitudinal axis A in counter-clockwise direction. The action is akin to withdrawing a string wound on a top, thereby initiating its spinning.

The tail 26 may be an attached length of strong thread wound a few turns directly on the tooth 16 so its free end is captured" and hence anchored by the ensuing turns of the thread, as is done when winding a string on a top. It is believed that this is well known and understood without need of further illustration, or a band.

The progress of the turning movement if the tooth 18, is of course examined by the orthodontist at such frequent or spaced intervals as he may prescribe, so he can remove the member 22 in proper time when the tooth is fully corrected, or he may replace the band to have its pin 21 a sufficient distance from the arch wire, and install a new member 22 to proceed with the toothturning operation. Of course, the spring must be free to contract, and may first require use of a spacer between teeth to accomplish this, before using the system herein set forth. Such space need be very small and in many instances will be found to exist, sufficient to use the flat spring forms 24 or 25. Also, the length dimension of the parts of the member 22, must be made to suit the mouth worked on.

It is also evident that the spring may comprise most all of the elongated member 22. The spring would need some structure at its ends for attachment to the tooth and arch wire respectively. The tails 26, 27, the band and its pin 21, and the hook 29, are preferred examples of such attachment means.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive, and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description and showings herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

1 claim:

1. In a system for turning at least one tooth of one jaw about its longitudinal axis in a predetermined direction, said system comprising a rigid arch wire, at least two holding members adapted to be securely mounted onto selected teeth of said one jaw, said holding members fixedly holding said arch wire in a stationary position relative to said holding members, a band tightly fitted on said one tooth, an elongated member provided with first and second ends and an intermediate section, said intermediate section defining a resilient tension spring construction, said first end of said elongated member being anchored to said band, said intermediate section being extended to a tensed condition and being wound at least part of a turn about said band in said predetermined direction starting from said anchored first end, and said second end being secured to a portion of said arch wire adjacent to said band.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the respective ends of said elongated member comprise means adapted for releasable attachment to the tooth and arch wire respectively.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated member is an integral structure.

4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the said elongated member is of filament material, having resilient quality.

5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is of helical form.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is of flattened helical form.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension springis of planar zig-zag form.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said band is provided with a headed pin extending outwardly therefrom for anchoring said first end of said elongated member.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said first end of said elongated member is twisted about said headed pin.

10. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second ends of said elongated member is provided with a hook. 

1. In a system for turning at least one tooth of one jaw about its longitudinal axis in a predetermined direction, said system comprising a rigid arch wire, at least two holding members adapted to be securely mounted onto selected teeth of said one jaw, said holding members fixedly holding said arch wire in a stationary position relative to said holding members, a band tightly fitted on said one tooth, an elongated member provided with first and second ends and an intermediate section, said intermediate section defining a resilient tension spring construction, said first end of said elongated member being anchored to said band, said intermediate section being extended to a tensed condition and being wound at least part of a turn about said band in said predetermined direction starting from said anchored first end, and said second end being secured to a portion of said arch wire adjacent to said band.
 2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the respective ends of said elongated member comprise means adapted for releasable attachment to the tooth and arch wire respectively.
 3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said elongated member is an integral structure.
 4. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the said elongated member is of filament material having resilient quality.
 5. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is of helical form.
 6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is of flattened helical form.
 7. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is of planar zig-zag form.
 8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said band is provided with a headed pin extending outwardly therefrom for anchoring said first end of said elongated member.
 9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said first end of said elongated member is twisted about said headed pin.
 10. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second ends of said elongated member is provided with a hook. 